The definition of predictive dialers refers to an outbound calling system that automatically dials from a list of telephone numbers. Predictive dialing systems utilize call metrics to predict the moment when a human agent will be free to take the next call. Predictive dialers then dial multiple leads to ensure a maximum agent utilization. Predictive dialers were first used around 30 years ago by the banking industry, primarily for debt collections. Since then, predictive dialers have evolved. They are often cloud-based (known as hosted dialers) and can sometimes integrate with CRM tools such as Salesforce.